Law offers diverse opportunities to students.One such rewarding option is criminal law which though calls for a willingness to work hard,proves the efforts worthwhile.
TRAINING GROUND : Any student with a LLB degree can opt for a career in criminal law.However he/ she should have a thorough knowledge of certain legal areas such as the Indian Penal Code and procedural laws such as the Code of Criminal Procedure and Evidence, says Kavita Singh,Assistant Professor,West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences.
The minimum eligibility to secure an admission to a renowned institution for the fiveyear BA LLB programme is 10+2 with a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate.Certain institutes base their admissions on the marks scored in entrance tests such as CLAT,National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Entrance Test,LSAT - India,etc.
ON THE JOB :- Lawyers engaged in criminal law practise independently or as government prosecutors. They work at trial or appellate level. A criminal lawyer must possess skills of investigation, counselling, fact finding and legal research, says Joshi.Communicating well with clients and adaptability are important too. A student might intern with a judge in a criminal division or serve as a research assistant in an institution. NGOs working in the areas of prisoners rights,protecting victims and cases of capital punishment have a panel of criminal lawyers working for them.
Criminal lawyers fresh out of law school usually receive a significantly small income and are often required to accept jobs they are overqualified for.However,with considerable experience one can easily charge Rs 50,000 per bail application.
SKILL SETS :- Criminal law is the most glamorous of all legal practices. However, it is also the most demanding one. One needs to be quick-witted and has to be able to come up with questions in courtroom that nobody else would even think of, says Dr Setlur BN Prakash, Adjunct Professor,National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Advises Dr Shashikala Gurpur,Director Symbiosis Law School and Dean, Faculty of Law,Symbiosis International University,Pune,Professionalism is the foremost virtue. Keep an open mind,do not be a judge of your client and do not take advantage of his/ her vulnerabilities.
OVERSEAS OPTIONS :- Those who wish to practise abroad with a law degree obtained in India have to appear for various law tests conducted by each country.To practice in England and Wales students have to take the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT) exam.To pursue a graduation in criminal law in the US, students need to have a bachelors degree in any subject (four-year degree) as well as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) exam scores, says Karan Gupta,a study abroad consultant.
FUTURE FOCUS :- With the huge backlog that the Indian judiciary is often criticised to have future of criminal lawyers is bright.My experience in lower court is that there are less lawyers and more work. A criminal lawyer can start earning from the very beginning of his career but in civil he has to wait for many years to specialise in his field.Criminal law is very lucrative and challenging, says Singh.
INSTITUTE WATCH - NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Symbiosis Law College, Pune, ILS Law College, PUNE(Indicative listing).
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(source-toi)
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